Elon Musk asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to join xAI bid to buy OpenAI, filing shows

Elon Musk, the world's richest person, asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to assistance him concern a $97.4 cardinal takeover of OpenAI successful aboriginal 2025, tribunal filings connected Thursday revealed.

The filing is portion of a ineligible lawsuit betwixt Musk and OpenAI that was initiated past year. The lawsuit is proceeding successful a national tribunal successful Northern California, and a justice precocious said OpenAI tin determination up with antagonistic claims against Musk, who co-founded OpenAI arsenic a non-profit with Sam Altman and others successful 2015.

When Musk floated his connection to bargain OpenAI successful February, helium was incensed that the institution and Altman, OpenAI's CEO, were pushing to alteration the concern into a for-profit entity. Altman and Musk, who were longtime friends, person go bitter adversaries since OpenAI's emergence arsenic a person successful generative AI with billions of dollars successful backing from Microsoft.

Musk started xAI successful 2023 and was pushing for it to beryllium a nonstop rival to OpenAI. Musk aboriginal sued OpenAI, alleging a breach of contract, and tried to halt OpenAI from converting to a for-profit company.

In its antagonistic claims, OpenAI has alleged that Musk and xAI's "sham bid" harmed its concern and that Musk has engaged successful "harassment" done litigation and attacks connected societal media and successful the press.

As portion of its complaint, OpenAI has filed to subpoena Meta for communications betwixt the company, its CEO and Musk astir the bid.

In a connection to the tribunal published Thursday, OpenAI said that erstwhile Musk and xAI were trying to signifier a consortium of investors to concern a takeover, they approached Zuckerberg with a missive of intent and asked "about imaginable financing arrangements oregon investments."

Neither Zuckerberg nor Meta signed the LOI, the filing said.

A Meta spokesperson declined to comment. Marc Toberoff, Musk's lawyer successful the case, didn't respond to a petition for comment.

The connection successful the filing said that Meta has been "spending heavy to make its ain Al capabilities" and has been "offering wage packages of $100 cardinal oregon much to starring Al researchers and attempting to poach OpenAI employees." 

Meta has argued that OpenAI's requests for documents are overly burdensome, and that OpenAI should get applicable communications from Musk and xAI, instead.

WATCH: How Sam Altman is tackling a increasing menace to the aboriginal of OpenAI: Elon Musk